Learning is a lifelong endeavor. Just like the students, this is my 1st Telluride Safety summer camp. I have been fortunate to hear many of the faculty speak before and to see the video stories of Lewis Blackman and Michael Skolnik. Yet, each time is a new time – to hear what was silent and to see what was opaque to my mind. I know that I will never tire in listening to John Nance, Paul Levy, and Dave Mayer. As a faculty member, I continue to learn from these remarkable individuals. We learn: as students, as teachers, when we win, when we lose, when we’re happy, when we’re emotionally fragile, etc. Learning never ends.
Timeless: the Rockies. I stare in amazement at their beauty and their harshness believing that they have been like this forever (since I never took a geology course in college). All types of life are being renewed around us in Telluride, notably when we see the elk with their calves. As medical, nursing, and pharmacy students, you are renewing the lifeline of your professions. Renewing, not repeating. You must be the change that creates truly patient centered healthcare.
Timely: your exposure to the critical importance of safety at this point in your career will forever impact how you deliver care and influence your colleagues, exponentially. As you pass through the next stages of training, your leadership will evolve. Be aware that people notice and will be inspired by your passion that places the patient at the center of your thoughts and actions.
Timeline: as you leave Telluride, embrace a project that you can accomplish within a clearly defined time. Take advantage of the Telluride faculty and your institution’s faculty to discuss, clarify, and implement such a project in quality/safety. Remember Lewis and Michael in your thoughts and careers.